Air Force Academy cadets experience Scott AFB Published Aug. 7, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Maria Bowman 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Twelve cadets from the U.S. Air Force Academy toured organizations at Scott Air Force Base July 17 through Aug. 1 to see various aspects of active duty life. "With most academy graduates being inclined or vectored toward becoming pilots, Operations AF allows cadets to make more informed career decisions by exposing them to other functional, operational and strategic levels," said Capt. Angel Vargas, the coordinator for the tour. "This helps the Air Force and cadets determine their fit in our service." Throughout the two weeks, the cadets visited the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron, the 375th Medical Group, the 375th Dental Squadron, the 375th Legal Office and the 375th Public Affairs Office. Scott Lopez, an Air Force Academy cadet, said the tour gave him an appreciation for the base and its mission. "At the academy, we don't always get to see the big picture of what the Air Force is truly all about," the upcoming junior said. "Coming out here and being able to see what Airmen really do on a daily basis and seeing all the different opportunities we have to serve has been really eye-opening. It has secured what I want to do in the Air Force, which is to work for the Judge Advocate General." Carter McElhany, cadet leader, said that the tour at Scott showed him and his classmates career opportunities they hadn't considered before. "We learned about new jobs and we have a better idea of what we want to apply for. It's given me more to think about, because I found a new career field I am now interested in. Before, I was most interested in intel, and now I'm split between that and the medical service corps." One highlight from their time at the base was flying on a training sortie to Ohio in a 126th ARW KC-135R to refuel two F-16s from the 180th Fighter Wing. McElhany said, "The incentive flight was really cool. It was great to see F-16s get refueled. It stands out in your memory, and you don't forget it." He explained that during their time at the academy, they have limited interaction with enlisted personnel, so seeing what Airmen do every day at Scott gave them a better feel of how broad the Air Force is. "It really takes a lot of people to support the Air Force mission," the management major said. "It's been cool to see the actual work environment. People are really excited about their jobs. One of the things that impressed me a lot was that even jobs that don't seem exciting at times have people who value their job and are very passionate about it, and are motivated to work hard at it." Lopez said he appreciates the enlisted personnel and their experience they bring to the mission. "Airmen have the true expertise and knowledge," said the legal studies major. "I haven't been going to school for the past two years to learn a trade. I realize that I don't have any of the answers, so you have to find those Airmen who are going to help you grow and develop as an officer. They are a huge part of officer development." Vargas said he hopes the cadets walked away from their experience here with greater understanding of the big picture. "There are many cogs in the Air Force wheel and without all of them, it would be extremely difficult to achieve our primary mission," said the 375th MDG Group Practice manager. "I feel this will help them in their engagements with leadership at the Academy. They will now be able to see things from different views and in turn help them when they are leading or mentoring their junior classmates. Also, when they encounter or need support activities at the Academy, the cadets will no doubt understand why things work the way they do which in turn can lead to more efficiency in their own practices."